A new restaurant concept opening in the Atlanta area is shaking up the foodservice industry. Experiential Brands, a leading portfolio of fast-casual restaurant brands, announced the launch of its latest venture, SocialBites Food Hub. More than a food hall, this innovative dining concept brings together multiple unique restaurant concepts under one roof, including The Original Hot Chicken, INKED Tacos, Flametown Burgers and Pinsa Roman Pizza. With indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, interactive décor, a weekly entertainment program, a full bar and private event capabilities, SocialBites offers upscale yet affordable dining and serves to foster community connections.
At the helm of this visionary concept is Aziz Hashim, Founder and Managing Partner of NRD Capital. With decades of franchising and restaurant experience, having operated successful brands such as Domino’s, KFC and Popeyes as both a franchisor and franchisee, Hashim is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in the industry. Leveraging his experience, Hashim and his team have created a new dining model with simplified operations and a focus on the guest experience.
“We saw an opportunity to create a business that would attract customers and attract investors. SocialBites Food Hub is an entirely new category unlike anything the restaurant industry has ever seen before,” said Aziz Hashim, founder and CEO of Experiential Brands. “We’ve combined the best parts of franchising and restaurant operations with a carefully crafted labor structure and streamlined operations that result in strong unit economics. We believe our business model will allow for a rapid payback within approximately two years. SocialBites Food Hub offers guests a vibrant, interactive space where individuals, groups and families can enjoy an experiential dining atmosphere along with affordable meals.”
Each brand within SocialBites serves a limited menu and shares a common kitchen platform, POS system and back office, ensuring efficiency and reducing operational complexity. By converting second-generation spaces, including shuttered casual dining locations, SocialBites can significantly reduce upfront capital costs and open faster than restaurants built from the ground up. Designed to scale with both franchises and corporate locations, SocialBites is designed for rapid growth and scalability.
A second company-owned SocialBites is scheduled to open in the Atlanta suburb of Woodstock later this year, with additional locations currently being selected, marking the start of a national expansion.
In addition to SocialBites, Experiential Brands is rapidly expanding its portfolio and investment opportunities. The company has established a presence internationally with non-traditional restaurants in London and Dubai, and is set to open a brick-and-mortar location of The Original Hot Chicken in Toronto later this year. Experiential Brands also plans to add to its non-traditional portfolio by bringing The Original Hot Chicken, Flametown Burgers, Inked Tacos and Pinsa Roman Pizza to college campuses in the U.S. this fall. The brand continues to expand delivery-only locations and off-premise consumption around the world, adapting to today’s consumer preferences.
